Purified Tomorrow: The Mad Awakening - Episode 13

 

 Diana should have gone back to sleep, but she herself knew, like everyone around her, that she was a workaholic, that she was hardwired to work. However, since it wasn't duty time, she still had the time to herself. By this time, she wanted someone she could trust. The people she could trust in the organization were becoming many, but they were amateur and skeptical. More so, if any of them were caught or sent into the punishment room, they wouldn't know how to escape . Joyce was the only person capable of carrying out such feat, the only known person to come out of the place without any aid was a greenhorn. Her philosophy and desire were too new and should be tainted slowly, over time. It would be a rookie move to overwhelm her with too much of information at that time. The only person she had with her was a Sonia that wasn't ready to come to her side, to fight her cause with her. Sonia kept doing her bidding, but preferred to choose no side.
'Sonia, meet me at the spot', she said as she passed Sonia by the passage.
She trudged away, assured that Sonia would come even though she would come ranting. However, that was normal for her. Luckily for her, no one would know that Sonia was her weak point. They might kill the world and everything in it; yet, she wouldn't blink an eyelid

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/purified-tomorrow-the-mad-awakening

. More so, with the type of training she had gotten, Sonia would vanquish anybody, no matter how skillful the person was.
Diana crouched inside the cave they always hid, and calculated her steps on the path to the train with a binoculars fixed on her face. If only she could get to the train, she would find answers about her father. No one had ever crossed the path before, and she would give anything to be first to ever try it. However, that is one system with a foolish algorithm, one she wished with all mind to know, even if it was the only knowledge she had. They must get outside soon to let the world know that things were different. She had been making plans for 12 years, and her patience was crumbling. All parts of her plans were ready, but the only thing keeping them was the way past the train. If they tried using those flying cars, they wouldn't go far.
The ground around her scratched. She bent her head to the side to watch from the corner of her eyes as Sonia crouched beside her. 
'Tell me something', Sonia said as she brought out a small knife and trimmed her fingernails with it. 'Were you sent to Etyes to disturb my life? You know if I enter the punishment room, I won't be able to get out'.
'Do you see the pattern with which the ground is moving?'
'Yes. It's such that it's impossible to calculate. Did you hear me at all?'
'No. It's not impossible to pass through. All we need is our ability to pass through without any fear', Diana said and was focused on calculating the pattern. 'And I trained you to be better. You can't fall there'.
'This is Etyes, Diana'.
'Mother'.
'Arghh! Mother? How do you come up with all these ridiculous titles for yourself?'
'Well, yesterday I was your teacher. You're the closest thing to me. So I'm your mother'.
'For your information, I should be the mother here. I've been saving you all these times'.
 Diana chuckled. Sonia was talking about a day they were both trying to sneak into the train. Diana slipped into one of the holes that led to the punishment room and might have remained there if Sonia hadn't caught her hand.
'Well, that's what daughters do for their mothers', Diana mumbled. 'This thing. I think it changes pattern every time.'
'How? Why do you think so?'
'Look at that tiny feather object', Diana said and handed her the second binoculars, and concentrated on the shifting pattern.
Sonia looked at the ground through the binocular. 'There are a lot of feathery objects there'.
 'The red one'.
Suddenly, someone smashed the camera that faced the train. Diana was startled. Sonia chuckled.
'I'll remember that'.
'You're laughing at your mother. What is that?'
They peeped to see some Peacelearners sneaking towards the train. They were led by a boy that had blond hair. They were people from different countries.
'Newbies', Diana grumbled as she steadied herself.
'You should stop them'.
'No. I'm intrigued. I need one of them for my cause. At least if you won't join me, you can help me pick'.
'I'm not joining you or any other cause. I want another opportunity to escape this nowhere'.
'I know Who doesn't? But they are everywhere'.
Sonia sighed. Diana rubbed her back. Sonia rarely had a reason to be sad but the knowledge of the fact they were stuck with these people always made her relapse into the tears and sadness of their first year. Diana tapped her gently and drew her head to her chest.
'Don't cry, daughter'.
Sonia, who was already feeling comforted, pulled away and gave her a curt look.
Diana hissed. 'Prodigal daughter. You'll come around'.
The nine Peacelearners were trying as hard as they could to avoid causing an uproar or making any disturbance, and they did amaze her with their orderliness. The blond really organized their activities well.
'Let's make a bet', she said as she turned to Sonia. 'None of them would make it'.
'That's cheating. You know that's my line'.
Diana stuck her tongue at her. 'You're left with the other line'.
'I will pick...' She said and pointed at no one in particular. Her pointed finger oscillated from one end to the other. She picked the boy with blond.
'They will be sucked into the punishment room'.
'So sad. But I trust that any day you make it there, you'll get back here'.
Sonia shook her head. 'Well, it was once an impossible mission but since Joyce had done it, it's now a difficult one'.
'I know. That place is horrible and clogged with hopeless, wretched people. Many of them would die there, I watched one of them die today'.
'You what? So you went there today and didn't tell me'.
'I'm doing that already'.
'No. You're not'.
'Yes, I am. See See They are...'
'They are climbing it. They are still standing'.
 'How did they? 
'The blond guy...'
'Not that', a girl yelled at the blond guy. The girl stood at the edge of what looked like a pit. The part with the feathery objects was like a round hole that was built in such a way that even the sides were touching the wall that would lead there. There were walls fencing this hole. The fences were rigged with electricity that one would never have a reason to touch it. Moreover, big signs were placed there, indicating 'DANGER'.
At this time, the feathery objects that were moving at a normal speed had increase momentum. The colors were now getting mixed together.
The blond shouted something incoherent, shook his head, and stepped on the ground that looked like a plain floor, one without the feather. The ground opened and he slipped through, yelling. The others stood still in their positions. One of them yelled and ran back, but didn't have to go far before falling into the ground. The ground was now opening and closing intermittently, exciting Diana's frustration. The others, seeing this new progression, fidgeted and did stupid things. The girl at the edge yelled at them, and climbed the field also. She yelled instructions at them, but they were too fretful to listen to her. All of them, except a boy who was too stunned to move. 
'This is like a movie', Diana said. 'I wished they allowed us get things out of the dining hall or that I sneaked some out, I could be munching chocolate or popcorn'.
'I wished I was still in the freshmen hall'.
'See...'
The girl shouted something inaudible and pointed at a place. The boy in front of it, jittering, stepped on somewhere else, and was soon wailing as he was sucked by the hole.
'No... Not...' The girl screamed. She clawed at the air as if she could pull him with her white hands. Despite her glaring desire to help the boy, she stood in the same place as if she was standing on a mine, and that a little movement would forfeit her existence. The girl glared at the field in front of her and took decisive steps towards the train. Diana sat up, tightened her grip on Sonia's hand, and sighed the moment the girl stepped on another part of the ground.
'Iris', someone shouted as other footsteps disturbed the graveness of the place.
The girl turned. 'Get back'.
Carl spread his arms to stop the others as they seemed to run irrationally.  
'You get back. I need to see this through'.
'How did you do that?' A fat guy shouted.
'The Mumbled Jack Game', she yelled and as she looked around as if she was looking for another route to the next step.
'Mumbled Jack. Mumbled Jack?' The fat guy said and edged forward. 'I never loved that game, but how does it work'
'Get back, Iris', Carl shouted.
'I need to' She said as she shifted her weight. The little movement caused the ground to open, and Diana inhaled loudly.
Iris didn't finish saying what she was saying before she fell. Sonia sighed.
'Yes, I know. I won', Diana said.
'We just lost the only person that seemed to understand the way out of this hole', Sonia said and slept on the ground, staring at the roof of the cave. 'We lost her again'. 
'From my own view, I don't think so'.
'How?'
'I think They seem to be friends'.
Sonia looked at her with realization and sprang up. 'The team. That's the girl that escaped'.
'She has a name'.
'I don't care'.
'Why won't you care...? You're in charge of her'.
Sonia inhaled loudly and looked away.
'No', Diana said as she began to giggle.

Read " Don't! Look Closer " by the same author ( Akíntayo Akinjide )

. 'You're in love. You're in love. WowOur relationship has bestowed you with the ability to love something'.
'I don't want to talk about it We need Joyce and that Iris of a girl'.
Diana nodded. 'Meanwhile, you lost our bet. You know the next line'.
Sonia hissed as she got ready to leave their corner. The last time Sonia won, she made Diana do something nice to one of the Peacelearners. But now it was her turn, she had to do something horrible to someone she really loves. Although it was painful, Sonia had to do something to Carl that Diana loved. He looked like someone that could come out of Sonia's evil unscathed.
'Carl'.
'NoNot him', Diana said and gave her cold glare.
'Sorry, daughter', Sonia said in a singsong manner. 'You can't have it both ways'.
Diana closed her eyes for a brief moment, shrugged and stuck out her tongue. 'We would both bear the brunt'.
Sonia grunted.
'You need to be fast about getting that girl out of that room', Diana called after her.
'I will Mother'.